Woogyman: The Early Years
by cloud777
Summary: SHORT. Still with Paige as the oldest. This is my version (with Paige as well) how it used to be with the Woogyman and Phoebe when she was five. Enjoy.


You all remember 'Is there a Woogy in the house', right? This is my version (with Paige)of dealing with Phoebe's childhood monster.

Thanks 4 the reviews again! Kfordy, thanks for the advice. I'll think about your idea.

Woogyman: The Early Years

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

It was already dark outside and the streets were quiet. Only the house with the number 1329 in Prescott Street in the city of San Francisco was filled with voices, with laughter.

"Oh please not me again!" Piper said as she watched the bottle spin on the floor. She let out a huge sigh of relief when it pointed at Prue. "Oookay Prue. Truth or dare?"

Prue growled playfully as she saw the bottle stopping to spin with the lid pointing at her.

"Truth then." She answered as she looked at her sisters sitting with her on the floor, all comfortably sat around the bottle.

"Aw Prue you're so boring! You never say dare!" Phoebe pouted.

"Actually that's not true Pheebs. You never know what you can still get out of her." Paige said grinning at Prue. Prue knew exactly that Paige knew more about her than any other sister. Most of the memories that were erased by Grams, Mom and everyone else that was involved in the 'giving Paige away' incident (cf. Lost Oldest) were already back. So Paige had the greatest amount of memories of Prue. Maybe it was because the age difference wasn't that big between Paige and her younger sister that they were best friends, soul mates for as long as they knew each other. Paige knew Prue better than her sister knew herself and the other way round. But there is always something you can scratch out of someone.

"Ok Prue. What was the most embarrassing moment you shared with a guy?" Piper asked.

"Oh lousy question Piper, very lousy." Paige commented. She knew the answer already. She saw her sisters, including Prue, look at her in surprise.

"Wait, you know the answer?" Piper looked at her oldest sister.

"Umm, I think you should know it, too. Or maybe you were too young? I don't know but I do know that quite a lot of people should know it." Paige grinned at Prue again. Something clicked in Prue as her face turned slightly red and she felt the tug on her lips.

"Oh no no no. You're not gonna tell them cause it seems like they don't know it yet. Besides, I was like what, 12? 13? That's not really embarrassing anymore." Prue said.

"Well in that case I can tell, right?"

"No!" At her sister's reaction, Paige had to laugh again. "So you do think it's embarrassing."

"Fine, tell them!" Prue said back, sulking playfully afterwards.

"Oh actually I do remember!" Suddenly Piper exclaimed. "It's the time when you were in 7th grade and that Rick something, the 9th grader ran into the hall in the middle of that basketball match where you were cheerleading, right?"

"Huh? What's so embarrassing about that, Pipe?" Phoebe frowned.

"Well, it would have been ok if he'd just come in," Paige answered, "but I don't think it was ok when he came running on the field naked, oh actually with sneakers on I think, screaming 'Prue Halliwell I love you, you're the woman of my liquid dreams' all over the field again and again."

"He did WHAT!" Phoebe burst out laughing. "Oh…my..gosh..Prue that's…" Phoebe could hardly breath because she had to laugh so much.

"Pheebs stop it! How do you think I felt back then." Prue said but she couldn't help but laugh at the memory, too.

"Oh and don't forget to mention he had the same words written on his chest and his back…" Piper started.

"…and on the flag he had in his hand, too." Paige finished, making Phoebe laugh even more, causing her to keep rolling on the floor, tears already streaming down her face.

"Even the security was laughing. Gosh Prue, you were known by everyone after that." Piper laughed with her younger sister.

"Ohhh would you stop it already! How long do you think it took me to distract everyone from that incident in my life at school after that?" Prue laughed but more at her sisters' uncontrollable laughter and it continued like that for another fifteen minutes.

"Oh ew Prue I feel sick now because of all the laughing." Phoebe whined but was still laughing a bit.

"Serves you right, squirt." Prue said playfully slapping Phoebe on her head. "Anyway, it's my turn now, right?" She spun the bottle again.

"And don't you dare use your powers." Piper said, anxious to see who the bottle would point at next.

"Never." Prue replied but then the bottle already stopped, pointing at nobody else than Phoebe. "Gotcha! Truth or dare Pheebs?" Prue smiled triumphantly.

"Umm, dare." Phoebe replied.

"Oh? You got any embarrassing secrets we don't know about?" Paige grinned at the youngest.

"No Paige. I'm just more the dare type."

"That's true." Piper added. Her little sister would be the first person that would come to her mind when it came to picking dare. She then started to think of something. "Hey Prue, I got one perfect dare for Pheebs." She ushered Prue and Paige to her.

"Yeah that's good Pipe." She laughed and turned to her youngest sister with a grin.

"Uh oh…Pipe what did you tell her?" Phoebe felt the chill run down her spine. 'This is worse than demon hunting…' She thought to herself, smiling.

"Alright Phoebe. I dare you to…" She had to laugh again but composed herself and continued. "I dare you to go get Grams' old records out of the basement."

"What! That's your dare?" Phoebe frowned.

"So I take it you're ok with it?" Prue was still smiling.

"Yeah sure I am, I mean what kind of dare….oh wait, the basement..?" Phoebe suddenly didn't look so confident anymore.

"Scared, baby?" Paige teased her.

"C…Course I'm not! What's so wrong about going into the basement?" Phoebe said but her voice was low.

"Oh? But what about……the Boogyman!" Piper grabbed her little sister's shoulders as she shouted in a scary voice, making Phoebe jump.

"Th…there is n..n…nothing like th…that down there…" Phoebe stuttered.

"Aww, you're stuttering, baby. You're scared." Prue teased her this time.

"N..No I'm not! Watch me!" Phoebe then got up and walked out of the living room.

"Ok that was a perfect dare Pipe but I'm gonna personally carry her to you and dump her over you when she comes half crying under my covers in the middle of the night saying 'I can't sleep' over and over again." Prue said, making Paige and Piper laugh.

"Guess I just have to accept that, hey?" Piper sighed with a chuckle.

The door to the basement creaked open. A scared face peeked in.

"Ohh man, why do basements always have to be so dark …?" Phoebe whispered to herself as she set her foot on the first step, a flashlight in her hand. "We really should change that light bulb soon." She kept on talking as she made her next steps. "Ok…I'm totally fine…I'm not scared…it's just a basement…." She felt her voice getting shaky.

It was then images suddenly hit her, something she didn't expect at this moment, images of again a long lost memory trying to make it's way into her mind….

"Oh Prue you're so boring! You always pick truth!" Five year-old Phoebe Halliwell exclaimed.

"Pheebs that's your chance to get to know Prue's secrets." Paige laughed as she shifted Phoebe's weight on her lap.

"Okay. Soooo…" The three older sisters had to laugh at the cute sight of Phoebe massaging the bridge of her nose as she thought so hard about what she would ask. "Have you and Andy already kissed I mean like looong kisses and on the lips?"

"Phoebe!" The sisters were surprised that their five year-old baby, not long ago still a toddler, would ask that.

"Honey, how come you ask that?" Prue asked back.

"Well, Brian says that when his sister, she's your age Prue, when his sister comes home with another boy they do that." Phoebe said innocently. "And Andy is a boy, too, so are you doing that, too, Prue?" Paige shook her head in disbelief. Was that normal that eleven year-olds were all over each other already, even in front of their younger brothers or sisters? Now she was anxious to hear Prue's answer.

"No." Prue's simple word sent a wave of relief over the still young Paige.

"Oh." Phoebe's face somehow fell but then she looked up again. "But will you tell me when you do?" She asked expectantly.

"Ok ok. I will Pheebs, promise." Prue smiled. She knew her sister would have forgotten it by tomorrow. "Ok my turn to ask you sweets. Truth or dare?"

"Dare!" Phoebe grinned. She just loved this game.

"I knew you would say that!" Prue grinned back widely. "I got the perfect dare for you, sweetie."

"Prue don't make her eat or drink anything disgusting. And nothing dangerous, either, ok?" Paige looked at her younger sister.

"Ya ya Paige, relax. Pheebs, I dare you to go down the basement." She came straight to her point as she smiled at her older sister.

"Aww Prue you're mean!" Piper, who was sitting next to Prue on the floor, said, although giggling herself.

"Noo Prue don't make me do that! The Woogyman's there!"

"You mean the Boogyman." Paige said.

"That's what I said, the Woogyman!" Phoebe looked up at her oldest sister. Paige let out a laugh and shook her head as she looked at her two other sisters.

"I don't know why it's just this word she doesn't learn to pronounce right." She muttered.

"Prue I don't wanna go." Phoebe whined.

"Aww come on. There is no Boogy…I mean Woogyman down there. It's just a story. Besides, it's a dare." Prue urged on. For a little kid, this was right. That was a dare and it was her duty to do whatever someone dared you to do. Phoebe looked down. She didn't know what she should do now.

"Prue…you really shouldn't force her to go down there. Look how upset she is already." Piper whispered to her older sister.

"Piper she can't be scared of going into the basement her whole life. And the earlier she learns that it's ok, the better." Prue whispered back.

"Prue I really don't want to…" Tears welled up in Phoebe's eyes. This surprised Prue. Her sister never liked to show tears in front of them.

"Oh baby, don't cry. We just want you to see that there's nothing to be scared of." Prue said softly as she saw Phoebe burying her face into Paige's chest.

"Look Pheebs, I can go down there with you, how does that sound?" Piper suggested. Indeed, Phoebe turned around again.

"You'll hold my hand?" She asked quietly.

"I'll hold your hand as long as you want me to." Piper answered with a reassuring smile.

"Ok." Phoebe agreed and got off of Paige's lap.

Piper felt her hand being squeezed tightly as she walked down the basement steps with her younger sister.

"Pipe I'm scared." Phoebe sounded like she was about to cry.

"Aww sweetie don't be. Look, I'm here right?"

"Don't let go, ok?"

"Never." The sisters coninued to walk down the steps until they were standing on the basement floor.

"See Pheebs? No Woogyman here." Piper smiled down at her sister.

"No Piper he's just hiding!" Phoebe pulled Piper by the hand, wanting desperately to climb up the stairs again.

"Honey stop pulling. Let's stay here for a bit, hey?"

"Noooo. Please Piper! I wanna get out of here!" Tears now streamed down her small cheeks.

"Alright, alright. I got it baby, don't cry." Piper said quickly as she lifted Phoebe into her arms and walked up the steps again. Neither sister noticed the little crack on the floor.

It was nighttime and the manor was long since quiet. The kids where all asleep in their beds. All but one. Her tiny feet patted along the hallway, down the stairs and to the kitchen. Her legs had carried her to the source of the noise she thought she was hearing. Her heart hammered against her chest, she wanted nothing more than to run up the stairs again to one of her sister's rooms and hide under their covers. But she knew she had to figure this out, right now and right there. Slowly, she dared to push open the door of the room the noises were coming out of. The door to the basement. The strange noises got louder. She then saw it. The huge, dark, scary, really scary shadow was there, right down the steps. She knew it was him. The Woogyman. But she then found a familiar face looking at her.

"Grams?" Phoebe's voice was barely audible.

"Go back to bed honey. Go on." Grams replied, her hand outstretched towards the dark shadow. She didn't have to be told twice. Phoebe ran up the stairs with lightening speed. She didn't even think about going into her own room as she opened the first door she saw and knew she would be safe behind it.

Prue felt the frantic tugging on her covers. She groaned sleepily but she shot her eyes open as she heard the loud cries now, too.

"Prue! Prue wake up! The Woogyman's here! He's gonna get me! Prue!" Phoebe screamed for dear life.

"Phoebe. Honey it's ok now, it was just a dream." She lifted the tiny frame into her arms. It was then she felt her baby sister shaking.

"Aww Phoebe. Don't be so scared baby, shhh. It's alright now, you're ok. It was just a nightmare honey, shhh." She bounced the girl in her arms as she paced up and down her room. Paige and Piper had heard the cries, too and were now standing next to Prue, stroking Phoebe's back and cooing, trying their best to get her to calm down.

"It wasn't a nightmare it was real! He was there in the basement and so was Grams! He was so huge and so ugly and so dark! And, and, and…"

"Sshhh baby calm down. Nothing's gonna hurt you. We're all here." Paige said softly as she took Phoebe from Prue. The comment about Grams was weird, but dreams were always weird, right?

"Yeah Pheebs. You're safe now. There's nothing to be scared of." Piper said, rubbing her baby sister's back. Phoebe just pushed her face into Paige's shoulder as she just cried on until she couldn't cry anymore, until she couldn't stay awake anymore and fell asleep.

"Paige, we have to talk to Grams about this. I'm sure she can come up with something to help Phoebe get over this." Prue whispered as she watched Paige tuck the youngest in again.

"Yeah, let's talk to her tomorrow. Let's go back to bed now, ok?" Paige answered quietly.

"Ok. Night Paige. Night Piper." Prue then lay down next to Phoebe, wrapping a protective arm over her.

The next morning was already there and Paige made her way down the stairs into the kitchen. She looked behind her and spotted Phoebe following her.  
"Morning sunshine." She waited for the little legs to catch her up and took the small hand in hers.

"Morning Paige, morning Phoebe." Grams greeted them at the kitchen table.

"Morning Grams." Paige sat down. Soon, all sisters were sitting at the table, their breakfasts in front of them.

"Grams, there is something we have to talk about." Prue started. But Grams already knew what this would be about. And she had already prepared something.

"Later, Prudence. I have something to tell you, too." The girls looked curiously at her now. "Phoebe. Come here." Grams then lifted the youngest up and set her on her lap. She smiled as she talked to Phoebe. "Honey. I know you're scared, really scared of the Boogyman. Is that right?" She saw Phoebe nod enthusiastically and saw her mouth open but she was faster as she continued. "Then I have something really good for you, sweetheart. There is something that makes the Boogyman go away in less than a second." She stroked Phoebe's hair as her granddaughter's eyes went wide. "Now listen good, my little one. And you, too." She looked at her other granddaughters. "Whenever you see him or feel that he is near you, you have to say this. Now repeat after me. I am light." Grams looked at Phoebe as her sweet voice rang out.

"I am light." Phoebe obeyed. There was nothing better than having a way to make the Woogyman go away.

"You, too darlings." Grams told her older granddaughters.

"Let's do it for Phoebe. She should feel better if she sees we can make him go away, too." Paige whispered to her younger sisters.

"I am light." They said in unison.

"I am one too strong to fight." Grams went on.

"I am one too strong to fight." The girls repeated.

"Return to dark where shadows dwell," Grams never took her eyes off of Phoebe.

"Return to dark where shadows dwell," They continued in unison. It went on like this for more than fifteen minutes. Repeating the same words over and over again made the girls more than bored. Except for Phoebe. This was like her life jacket in the middle of the ocean. She seemed to really need this…poem?

"Now girls, can you say it all on your own now?" Grams asked, Phoebe still on her lap and the girls on the same spot as before.

"Yes Grams. Can we go play after this then?" Piper asked.

"You can my darlings. But only if you can say it right." Grams said firmly but with love in her voice.

"Ok let's get this over with." Prue said under her breath, not noticed by her grandmother. So the girls began to say whatever they had learned in the past twenty minutes.

"I am light, I am one too strong to fight. Return to dark where shadows dwell, you cannot have this Halliwell. Go away and leave my site, and take with you this endless night." The girls finished with a smile. Finally. They could go play now.

"Well done, sweethearts. You may go now." Grams said as the girls took off. But she was surprised as the weight on her lap was still there.

"Grams? Can we do it again?" Phoebe asked, her voice sounding soft but so, so determined.

"Of course baby." So Grams sat there with Phoebe saying the same words over and over again.

Three weeks passed. Reciting the weird poem had become a routine now for the youngest, as she sat with Grams in the kitchen before going to bed. She didn't know when she would use it again but somehow her young mind understood that this was very, very important for her to keep in mind. Grams didn't know that the time her granddaughter would make use of the spell was already there.

It was night again as Phoebe heard the weird noises she had heard the night she saw the Woogyman. Again, her feet chose the way down the stairs and not to her sisters' rooms. She closed the distance to the basement. As she touched the cold door, she felt her heart beat against her chest again, it almost hurt. With a creak, the wooden door was opened.

"Grams?" This time she asked right away but this time, there was no answer either. The only thing she heard was the noise but she saw nothing. She gulped loudly. She had to do this, her feet wouldn't obey her even if she wanted to run away. One tiny foot was set on the first step. Followed by another. Slowly, Phoebe walked down the steps, nearly reaching the floor. There was a crack again, this time it was noticed by the youngest. Suddenly, she thought her heart was going to explode as it happened, suddenly a huge pitch-black shadow came out of the crack, it looked like smoke, like a black cloud. Her small body jerked as she heard the deep, very, very deep voice.

"Phoebe…"

His dark voice worked like a switch in her mind as she opened her mouth and the words came out.

I am light

I am one too strong to fight

Return to dark where shadows dwell

You cannot have this Halliwell

Go away and leave my site

And take with you this endless night

"No! Aaarrgh this is not possible! Noooo!" His scream rang out as he slowly vanished to nothing, as if he was sucked in by the crack on the floor. Phoebe saw the crack miraculously disappear. A smile spread across her face as she walked up the stairs. Before she closed the door to the basement, she looked back once again.

"Bye bye, Woogyman." She waved her small hadn and closed the door. Now she could sleep better, with sweet dreams.

….She opened her eyes again. A wide smile spread across her face.

"I have nothing to be scared of…because I vanquished him then….And I can do it again, anytime…" Phoebe said to herself smiling as she now remembered her first encounter with the Woogyman. She walked down the steps, head high with confidence. Grabbing Grams' old records, she walked up the steps again. She peeked into the dark room for a second longer.

"Bye bye, Woogyman." The door was closed.

"Ah there you are, Pheebs." Prue said as she spotted Phoebe entering the living room again.

"Got the records?" Piper asked.

"Here you go, sistas." Phoebe handed them the discs.

"Are you…are you ok Phoebe? You weren't scared down there?" Paige asked, searching the hint of fear in her baby sister's face but finding nothing.

"Scared?" Phoebe acted as if she would be thinking. "No." She then smiled at her sisters with confidence.

"Uhh…did anything happen down there?" Prue asked confused and surprised.

"No, as far as I can think of, nothing." She sat down again, the smile never fading. "Come on, it's my turn now."

End. It could of been like this as well, couldn't it?


End file.
